A test run on the Nhon-Hanoi Railway Station metro route from the Nhon depot to the S8 station took 15 minutes Thursday morning. 

After safety procedures were completed, the train began its journey from the Nhon depot in Bac Tu Liem District at around 10:40 a.m.

The test run was done by foreign experts hired by the project's contractor.

Officials said that "different running modes" would be tested before a proper trial run was launched. 

The Nhon-Hanoi Railway Station metro line has 10 trains, all made in France. Each train, 78.27 m long, has four cars capable of carrying 950 passengers at a time. Its normal running speed is 35 kph, while the maximum speed is 80 kph.

The entire metro line spans 12.5 km; of which 8.5 km is elevated and 4 km underground. It runs through Bac Tu Liem, Nam Tu Liem, Cau Giay, Ba Dinh, Dong Da and Hoan Kiem districts.

Le Trung Hieu, deputy head of the Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board (MRB), said the tests would check how the line's systems integrate with the train to ensure safety, among other purposes.

A screen on a car notifies passengers of the train's stations. Cars are equipped with air conditioning, sound systems, cameras and LED lighting for when they enter the underground section.

After about 15 minutes, the train finished its 8.5 km journey on the elevated section and reached the S8 section near the University of Transport and Communications in Dong Da District. Then it returned to the Nhon depot.

According to the MRB, six out of 10 trains of the metro line have been transported to the Nhon depot. They will be assembled, tested and modified as needed.

As of June, the overall project was 72 percent complete, officials said, adding that the elevated section was about 90 percent complete.

The elevated section is expected to be ready for use at the end of this year; and the underground section at the end of next year.